Pet stores shouldn’t be selling animals, says No Puppy Mills Canada
No Puppy Mills Canada has a simple message. Only shop at pet stores that sell supplies and not animals to help in the fight against puppy mills and backyard breeders. I came across its website while researching the seven part-dog series that started last Saturdayand today features a story on why not to buy dogs from the internet. You can read the Vancouver Suns story on the subject today by clicking here.
As dog expert and author Stanley Coren told me about 90 per cent of dogs in pet stores come from puppy mills, and the majority of puppy mills are run for profit with little regard for the health and welfare of the animals. No Puppy Mills Canada recommends if you have a pet store in your city selling animals to let city council know you think its wrong
So far in Canada only Richmond Municipality has taken the first step to ban the sale of animals in pet stores. As No Puppy Mills Canadas website pointed out no reputable dog breederwould sell to shops. Breeders associated with the Canadian Kennel Club want to ensure the purebreds they breed have good homes so would not be selling in a venue where the prospective owners cant be screened. And of course there are many animal rescue organizations that have thousands of animals waiting to be adopted. A good start is either contacting your local SPCA or going to www.petfinders.comOn Friday the Sun will also be releasing a list of dog rescue groups throughout British Columbia.
Note: The Angels Animal Rescue group in Merritt, who Ive written about in the past, is getting closer to winning the $100,000 Pepsi Challenge. If successful they plan to build a large indoor animal shelter and rehabilitation centre for up to 50 dogs. As volunteer Jennifer Skowronek pointed out this is urgently needed since the winters in Merritt can be particularly cold. The rest of the fund would be used to conduct a spay and neuter program, education and cover veterinary expenses for sick or injured dogs. Today, June 30, is the last day to vote for this cause. Go to www.refresheverything.ca/angelsanimalrescueto help.
Prehistoric animals had great sight: Australian researchers
CANBERRA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers on Thursday said they discovered that prehistoric animals had excellent sight.
Scientists from the South Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide examined a 515 million-year-old fossilized eyes found on Kangaroo Island of South Australia, and found that the prehistoric animals had compound eyes with more than 3,000 lenses each.
This means that some of the earliest animals had very powerful eyesight with similar vision to living creatures today.
The team concluded that sharp vision must have evolved very rapidly soon after the first predators appeared 540 million years ago.
According to University of South Australia paleontologist Dr. Jim Jago, he was surprised to find complex eyes, like those of living insects, in such primitive animals.
It was a fluke, to be honest, he said in a statement released on Thursday.
I was cataloging another fossil and just happened to notice this blob. It looked like an eye ... but looked a bit complex for an eye of that age.
It is not clear exactly from what creature the fossils from Kangaroo Island came from, but the researchers said the animal is thought to have been about the size of a prawn or crab. Its eyes measured 1 cm, which meant it was likely to have been large for the period in which it lived.
Paleontologist Dr. Jim Gehling from the South Australian Museum said the discovery provides valuable information on early marine creatures.
We now have six really good specimens and lots of fragmentary specimens and there is probably a lot more to come, he said.
This is one of the greatest places in the world to actually study the earliest marine animals.
We found what I suppose youd call the disembodied eyes of a creature that was able to see with remarkable vision compared with what we would have expected for that time, around about 515 million years ago.
Details of the research are published in Thursdays edition of the science journal, Nature.
Noble Group puts Brighton Pier up for sale
Brighton Pier, one of Britain's best-known seaside attractions, has been put on the market for the first time in more than 25 years.
The Grade II* listed venue is being sold by its owners, the Noble Group, the leisure and amusement arcade operator, alongside the entertainment business on the pier.
Agency Announces Changes In Wake Of Train Crash
COLUMBIA, SC -- South Carolinas labor department is changing the way it inspects the states elevators and amusement rides.
Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Director Catherine Templeton said inspections will no longer be done by the departments inspectors but instead by specially licensed outside contractors.
?Under the current system, only one set of eyes passes over each elevator or amusement ride,? Templeton said. ?We rely on our inspectors to be perfect every time out. With the changes we are making to the program, we will enhance the process with our team of auditors because they will look behind special inspectors to ensure they are on their toes.
This comes in the wake of the childrens train crash in Spartanburgs Cleveland Park last March that killed 6-year-old Benji Easler. Dozens were injured.
The labor department later revealed that one of the agencys inspectors falsified an inspection report on the train one week before the wreck.
As two fairs open in western Virginia, inspectors focus on amusement ride safety
If July fourth is just around the corner, fair season will soon be in full swing, and that means local inspectors are taking a closer look to insure amusement rides are safe.
The Buchanan Volunteer Fire Department Carnival opened Wednesday night, and Botetourt County Building Official Brandon Nicely spent most of the afternoon inspecting the rides set up at the Buchanan fairgrounds.
Sony names new head of gaming division
Sony Corp. has promoted Andrew House to president and group chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., the division that encompasses its PlayStation gaming business.
House will report to Kazuo Hirai, who took on the title of chairman of the gaming division. Hirai will replace Akira Sato, who will retire Aug. 31. The promotions take effect Sept. 1.
Zoomers Amusement Park may finally open
The main go-cart track in the foreground and a maintenance building at Zoomers in the background sit idle at the never opened family amusement park on Summerlin Road in south Fort Myers. / news-press.com file photo
Holloway Tabbed to Lead Wolfpack
Braden Holloway is coming home. ??
Director of Athletics Deborah
A. Yow announced today that Holloway, a five-time All-America selection
and 2001 graduate of NC State, will take the reigns as head coach of the
Wolfpack swimming and diving program. ?
Braden is a high
energy, focused leader, said Yow. We are truly excited for Braden to
come home and inspire excellence in our athletes while building on the
traditions of the Red Legend Pride. His successes as an athlete and
coach have prepared him to return to State and lead the Pack. I
congratulate Chris Kingston and the search committee for their good
work.
?Holloway returns to Raleigh after seven seasons at
Virginia Tech, having served as associate head coach since 2008. His
tenacity as recruiting coordinator has helped revitalize the Hokies'
program, as his 2009-10 men's and women's signing classes were both
nationally ranked by CollegeSwimming.com - a first for the program.
Last year Holloway's men's class was ranked for the second year in a
row, standing 20th overall, while the women's class was ranked 14th.
This year the women's class has been ranked 13th. The Hokies' program
has consistently improved under his tutelage, combining to set over 30
new school records, obtaining over 20 All-Americans and over 15 ACC
Champions throughout his tenure.
??This past season the Virginia
Tech men posted a 5-2 record and finished fourth at the ACC
Championships, while the women went 6-3 and placed fifth at ACCs. In
all, the Hokies sent five student-athletes to the NCAA Championships.
"I
am excited and eager to be coming back to Raleigh and to join the
Wolfpack family once again," stated Holloway. "NC State is a wonderful
school that means so much to both my wife and I. I want to thank
Director of Athletics Deborah Yow and Senior Associate Athletic Director
Chris Kingston for giving me this opportunity to lead such a storied
program into the future. The Wolfpack Swimming and Diving program is one
of the most decorated programs in the country and I am honored to build
on the tradition that has been laid before me."??
Prior to his
stint at Virginia Tech, Holloway was an assistant coach at The
University of the South from 2003-04. During that time he coached
Matthew Martelli to All-America honors, while seven student-athletes won
individual titles and the team established four school records.
??Holloway's
collegiate career at State was illustrious. He lettered with the Pack
from 1998-2001, winning back-to-back ACC titles in the 100 backstroke in
2000-01, collecting all-conference honors during all four years and
setting an ACC record. A five-time All-American, he was ranked
internationally in backstroke events and was an Olympic Trials qualifier
for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary
Team in 2002.??
His swim in the 100 backstroke from 2000 still
stands as the school record, while he owns six more all-time top-10
marks in individual action and is a part of two top-three relay squads.
??A
two-time Academic All-American, Holloway graduated from State in 2001
with a degree in parks, recreation and tourism management, serving as
the commencement speaker for the College of Natural Resources. He
completed his master's degree in education at Virginia Tech in the
summer of 2007. ??
A native of Baton Rouge, La., Holloway is
married to former State swimmer Mary Mittendorf, who still holds four
all-time top-10 marks in the Wolfpack record book. The Holloway's have
three children, daughter Blythe Marie, son Ethan Robert and daughter
Brynn Elizabeth.
Japan’s Gaming Market Sinks 16 Percent in First Half
Japans console and portable gaming market sank 16 percent in the first six months of the year as new software failed to make a splash and sales of hardware fell, according to data released on Thursday.
The entire market was worth 192 billion (US$2.4 billion), down from 228 billion in the equivalent period of 2010, said Japanese publisher Enterbrain, which tracks the gaming market.
During the six-month period, sales of software dropped just over 20 percent and the industry failed to release a single game that sold more than a million units, which is typically the sign of a hit game in Japan. Last year, four games sold more than a million copies each during the first half.
The best-selling game of the half this year was Capcoms Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, which sold 968,269 copies. The software launched on Dec. 1 last year and racked up sales of more than 3 million copies in the few weeks before 2011 began.
The number two game of the first half and the best-selling new game of the period was Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 Professional from Square Enix, which launched on March 31 and sold 469,469 copies, said Enterbrain.
On the hardware side the Nintendo 3DS, which launched on Feb. 26 in Japan, was the best-selling device. Nintendo sold 1.15 million of the handheld gadgets during the first half.
It was closely followed by Sonys PlayStation Portable, which sold 1.08 million units. Sony launched the device in 2004, but managed to energize first half sales with a price cut that saw the PSP reduced to 16,800.
Overall hardware sales fell 9 percent to 80 billion.
For the entire year, the game market should be buoyed by several major releases due before 2011 ends. Nintendo plans to release new versions of its Super Mario and Mario Cart games, and Sony is planning to launch the PlayStation Vita, its first new portable gaming device since the PSPgo was released in 2009.
Japan first half 2011 software sales ranking (Source: Enterbrain):
1, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, Capcom, 968,269 copies sold
2, Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 Professional, Square Enix, 469,469 copies sold
3, Dissidia Duo Decim Final Fantasy, Square Enix, 454,522 copies sold
4, Shin Sangoku Musou 6, Koei Tecmo, 443,873 copies sold
5, Ryu ga Gotoku Of The End, Sega, 376,193 copies sold
Japan first half 2011 hardware ranking (Source: Enterbrain):
1, Nintendo 3DS, 1.15 million units sold
2, PlayStation Portable, 1.08 million units sold
3, PlayStation 3, 621,048 units sold
4, Nintendo DS, 614,927 units sold
5, Nintendo Wii, 413,091 units sold
6, Xbox 360, 68,724 units sold
Martyn Williams covers Japan and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Martyn on Twitter at @martyn_williams. Martyns e-mail address is martyn_williams@idg.com
Trends on Google, Twitter track religious evolution
This was not the first time such a prediction about the end times has been made. The very same Harold Camping of Family Radio made a similar prediction in 1994, and who could forget Edgar C. Whisenants 88 Reasons why the Rapture is in 1988? Doomsayers have been imminent in their predictions for centuries. In fact, the dogma of the Jehovahs Witnesses still maintains that Christ returned to the Earth in 1914. There must be something cyclical about our culture that end-time concerns are recurrent, coming in waves. But only recently can we directly observe these trends in real time. Living in the early 21st century grants us the rare privilege of directly observing memetic waves in human culture even as they continue to evolve and emerge.